Since we were in the far western reaches of Ukraine, most of the time there was little indication that we were in a country embroiled in a war for their survival. But there were small reminders here and there that meant that we had to remain careful and alert during our trip. We had been advised to keep our passports on our person at all times, both as a way to prove our identity and national origin as well as being prepared for a sudden evacuation should something happen. Fortunately, our time passed without any significant issues.
There were some visible reminders of the war. We passed a convoy of trucks carrying tanks to the east. I saw several billboards that seemed to be aimed at recruiting for the military and there was a video screen in the town square that would play a recruiting video in between advertisements for various products. We were in the town square one evening when we heard a siren indicating a missile launch or air threat, but we had been told in advance that these sirens go off no matter where in the country the threat actually is located so we knew that we didn’t have to worry too much. Finally, we were warned not to take many pictures outdoors in public areas. We certainly needed to avoid taking pictures of soldiers, military buildings, and the border crossing, but since it wasn’t always apparent what might be considered a strategic location, we should avoid taking pictures in many areas. Soldiers or police might confiscate our phones and having pictures of certain things would cause additional problems.
The only time I really had any concern was on our way to camp the first morning when we were stopped by a police checkpoint. I started considering worst case scenarios and wasn’t sure why we were being stopped or what was getting ready to happen. The heavily armed police told our Hungarian driver/translator that they stopped him for running a stop sign and eventually gave him a ticket. He believed, however, that they had stopped him because he was a young man and they wanted to make sure he wasn’t a Ukrainian that should be fighting in the war.
The biggest impact of the war became clearer after we got to know several families in the community around our church site. The vast majority of the men had either left the country to find work or were off to fight the war. When we held a closing program at the end of our week of camp and invited the families, the audience was 99% female.
As we consider the possibility of returning to Ukraine next year, we have to come to grips with the fact that we don’t know if it will even be possible. What might happen in the next ten to twelve months to the area where we served? Will there still be a war? Will there still be an independent Ukraine? Only God knows and I would encourage you to be in prayer over this area and the families that are dealing with that uncertainty right now.
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